Cuban President Raul Castro held talks Friday with visiting British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Anthony Hammond on the advancement of bilateral cooperation relations.

Raul Castro and Anthony Hammond also considered the potential to further bilateral relations in the benefit of their nations and welcomed the signing of an accord on the mid and long-term debt of Cuba to the U.K., which will benefit the develop of economic, commercial and financial links between London and Havana.

Secretary Hammond was accompanied by British ambassador to Cuba Tim Cole and the director for The Americas at the British Foreign Ministry, Kate Smith. On the Cuban side was foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez, along with foreign trade and investment minister Rodrigo Malmierca.